Adjustable open end wrench

ABSTRACT

AN OPEN ENDED WRENCH HAS A SLIDABLE JAW WHICH IS MANIPULATED BY A FINGER-DRIVEN ACTUATING MEMBER IN A SIDE CAVITY FORMED ALONG A LIMITED EXTENT OF THE HANDLE PORTION FOR LATERAL INSERTION OF THE ACTUATING MEMBER AND BEARINGS FOR DRIVING CONNECTION OF THE ACTUATING MEMBER WITH THE GEAR OR SCREW FOR THE SLIDABLE JAW, AND A COVER PLATE IS DETACHABLY CONNECTED OVER THE CAVITY TO AID IN SUPPORTING THE PREASSEMBLED ACTUATING MEMBER AND BEARINGS IN PLACE WITH A CONTROL BUTTON ON THE COVER PLATE TO ROTATABLY DRIVE THE ACTUATING MEMBER.

Jan. 19, l1971 v K, F, HALs T 3,555,939

ADJUSTABLE OPEN END wREN Filed Jam.` 1o; '196s n 2 sheets-sheet x INVENTOR.

KENNETH F HALLS ATTORNEY Jan. 19,1`` 1971. K, F. M LS 3,555,939

ADJUSTABLE OPEN END WRENCH Filed Jan. 10, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet a www "HIl Il l INVENTOR. KENNETH F HALLS A TTORN E Y United States Patent Office 3,555,939 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 3,555,939 ADJUSTABLE OPEN END WRENCH Kenneth F. Halls, Broomfield, Colo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Eugene E. Petersen, Omaha, Nebr. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 614,850,

Feb. 9, 1967. This application Jan. 10, 1968, Ser.

Int. Cl. B25b 13/16 U.S. Cl. 81-165 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An open ended wrench has a slidable jaw which is manipulated by a finger-driven actuating member in a side cavity formed along a limited extent of the handle portion for lateral insertion of the actuating member and bearings for driving connection of the actuating member with the gear or screw for the slidable jaw, and a cover plate is detachably connected over the cavity to aid in supporting the preassembled actuating member and bearings in place with a control button on the cover plate to rotatably drive the actuating member.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 614,850, tiled Feb. 9, 1967, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to adjustable, open end wrenches` and more particularly relates to wrenches of the type commonly referred to as cresen or end wrenches being adaptable for use in tightening or loosening bolts, nuts and the like.

Open end wrenches of the adjustable type are customarily comprised of a fixed jaw and an adjustable or sliding jaw at one end of a handle portion, the sliding jaw being advanced toward and away from the fixed jaw by rotation of a gear or screw member located behind the jaw, and typically the gear or screw member is manipulated by a knurled spiral nut. While these wrenches are generally satisfactory, rotation of the nut requires considerable time and is ditiicult to accomplish with a single hand. In order to facilitate manipulation and control of the sliding jaw portion it has been proposed in the past to place a gear-actuating member in the handle and which actuating member projects forwardly from the handle for intermeshing engagement with the gear. As a result, the actuating member can be driven by a slide member engageable by the thumb while the wrench is held by the iingers of one hand. In the past however manufacturing costs of wrenches of the type described have been almost prohibitive due to the necessity of forming an elongated socket or bore throughout the substantial length of the handle portion for insertion and placement of the actuating member, and generally the socket or bore has been for-med by complicated casting and machining operations. Moreover the assembly and installation of the actuating member in the past has been somewhat tedious and time-consuming, requiring specially formed parts to properly support the actuating member in aligned relation to the gear.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages and drawbacks in adjustable open end wrenches of the type described by avoiding costly casting and machining operations in the formation of the receptacle for the gearactuating member and in such a way as to result in ygreatly simplified and economical manufacture and assembly of the wrench using a minimum number of parts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a novel and improved open end wrench construction specically wherein a preassembled actuating member and bearings are installed in a side cavity occupying but a limited, forward portion of the wrench handle in order to establish a driving connection between the actuating member and gear for the sliding jaw portion of the wrench.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in an adjustable open ended wrench of the type described for a compact, preassembled cover plate, actuating member and bearing assembly insertable into a side cavity in the handle of the wrench for direct driving engagement between the actuating member and a jaw-engaging screw in the head of the wrench; and further to incorporate a novel and improved control button, as a part of the cover plate assembly, to drive the actuating member.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide in an adjustable Spanner wrench for an actuating member occupying a cavity of limited length in the forward portion of the handle which will enable the user to quickly and easily adjust the wrench jaw spacing to fit a given bolt or nut and instantly to turn the bolt or nut with one hand leaving the other hand completely free to support the work and affording a definite mechanical advantage in driving the jaw-engaging gear member. The present invention broadly contemplates the formation of an adjustable open ended wrench of the type having a sliding jaw portion advanced toward and away from a iixed jaw by a gear member located behind the jaw and wherein the gear member is controlled by a finger-driven, elongated actuating member of limited length mounted in the handle of the Wrench. In accordance with the present invention, the manufacturing and assembly of the wrench is greatly simplified in that the slot or cavity provided in one side of the handle for the actuating member can be formed in the forward portion of the handle by a simple die-casting or forging operation so as not weaken the handle and avoid costly casting and machining operations in the formation of an elongated 'bore or socket extending through the substantial length of the wrench handle. Another important feature resides in the manner of supporting the actuating member in joumaled relation within the channel or cavity portion formed: Specifically in the preferred form the actuating member and bearings are preassembled on a cover plate whereupon mounting and attachment of the cover plate in place over the cavity the actuating member is aligned for driving engagement with the gear for the sliding jaw. Different forms of actuating members may be employed in carrying out the objectives of the present invention, Such as, a helical screw shaft or perforated belt, the latter being set forth in Pat. No. 3,368,432 and assigned to the assignee of this invention, and in each form the actuating member is of one-piece construction except for the drive pinion fixed at one end and may be quickly and easily mounted in place into direct driving connection with the gear while necessitating very slight, if any, modification of the bearing and cover plate arrangement.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of preferred and alternate forms of invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG, l is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view, partially in section and with the side plate removed to illustrate the internal construction, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wrench.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of the handle and cover plate assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the inside of the cover plate.

FIG. 6 is a view taken about lines 6 6 of FIG. l.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken about lines 7-7 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational View of a modified form of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a View of the modified form with the side cover plate removed to show the internal construction of the wrench.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken about lines 10-10 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of an insertable bearing block employed in the modified form of wrench shown in FIGS. 8 to 10.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown by way of illustrative example in FIGS. 1 to 7 a preferred form of wrench construction which may be die-cast or forged in the form of an elongated handle 10 terminating at one end in an enlarged head 11 having an upper, forwardly projecting, fixed jaw portion 12 and a downwardly inclined face 14. The head is recessed in a conventional manner to form a socket or cylindrical bore 15 extending diagonally from the lower end on an axis parallel to the downwardly inclined face 14 to receive a jaw-actuating gear or screw member 16. The socket terminates just short of the upper extremity of the head directly behind the upper fixed jaw portion in a closed end 17 to limit axial movement of the member 16, and in turn a vertical slot 18 extends forwardly from communication with the socket and opens into the face 14 to provide a slide passage for an inverted, generally L-shaped tongue 20 extending rearwardly from a slidable lower jaw portion 22. The tongue is provided with rearwardly directed vertically spaced teeth or ribs 23 which intermeshingly engage with the threads on the gear member 16. Here the socket portion 15 must be dieformed or drilled upwardly through the head, and gear member 16 is dimensioned to be of an outer diameter to freely rotate in the socket 15 without side play. Further, the member 16 has a vertical length to freely rotate between the upper closed end 17 of the socket and a thrust plug 24 which is inserted in the lower open extremity of the socket and is seated against a snap ring 25 inserted in a groove in the wall of the socket thus eliminating the usual threaded bearing structure.

The member 16 is also provided with a driven bevelled pinion 26 fixed at the lower extremity and disposed in upwardly facing relation for rotative engagement by an elongated gear-actuating member 30, the latter being .mounted in the handle portion .10 to reversibly rotate the gear member 16 for slidable movement of the jaw 22 toward and away from the upper fixed jaw 11. The foregoing described construction is broadly conventional in all adjustable, open ended hand wrenches and the present invention is more specifically directed to the mounting and installation of the gear-actuating member 30 in the handle.

In accordance with the present invention, an elongated cavity or groove 31 is indented in the side of, and extends longitudinally of, a limited length of the handle 10 into communication with the lower end of the socket 15 in the head. The cavity 31 is of a depth to traverse the greater width of the handle portion, and the outer peripheral edge of the cavity is relieved along its sides and rearward end to define an outer seat or inset portion 32. An enlarged opening 33 is formed intermediately of the sides of the cavity for a purpose to be described and the leading end of the cavity has a channel or groove 34 extending along the sides forwardly of the enlarged area 33 in spaced relation beneath the seat 32 in order to facilitate mounting and support of a cover plate assembly 36.

As best seen from FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the cover plate assembly 36 includes an elongated, relatively thin cover plate 38 which is dimensioned to conform to to the size and configuration of the cavity with the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate resting against the seat portion 32. In order to facilitate assembly of the gear actuating member 30 within the cavity, the cover plate 38 is provided with integrally formed, inwardly directed bearing blocks 39 and 40 at opposite ends of an elongated guide slot 42, the bearing blocks having aligned openings 43 and 44, respectively, for lengthwise insertion of the actuating member. The front bearing 39 is provided with laterally projecting ribs 45 on opposite sides for insertion into the grooves 34 on opposite sides of the front end of the cavity. Additionally, inwardly directed longitudinal ribs 48 flank opposite sides of the guide slot so that upon insertion into the cavity the ribs will fit snugly along the inner wall surface of the cavity and secure the actuating member in properly aligned relation within the cavity, as shown in FIG. 6. To complete attachment of the cover plate to the handle, a connecting screw 49 may be inserted through the cover plate into a screw socket 49' in the handle, again the front end being secured by the interfitting engagement between the ribs 45 and channels 34, as shown in FIG. 7.

In the preferred form, the actuating member 30 is defined -by an elongated screw shaft 50 having helical grooves 51 and smooth surface portions 52 and 53 at opposite ends with an enlarged drive bevel pinion 54 being afiixed to the forward end. The actuating member is preassembled on the cover plate by rearward insertion of the screw shaft 50 through the front bearing block 39 until the rearward end 53 of the shaft is inserted within the rear bearing block 40, as shown in FIG. 4. A snap ring 56 is then inserted in a groove on the end portion 52 behind the bearing 39 to retain the shaft in position within the bearing members.

Rotation may be imparted to the screw shaft 50 by terminates in a rounded inner end or protuberance 62 being dimensioned to slidably engage the helical groove 51 on the screen shaft 50. The shank portion is provided with a intermediate surface 64 aligned with the guide slot and an inner shoulder or enlargement 65 which bears against the inner surface of the cover plate 38. In assembly, the shank is positioned in the slot and the button placed over the outer end of the shank followed by upsetting the outer end of the shank to retain the button thereon. Thereafter the actuating member is mounted in the bearing blocks. In this way, the control -button 60, actuating member 30 and cover plate 38 are preassembled before installation in the cavity. To position the cover plate assembly in the cavity the front end may be tipped downwardly a slight extent into the enlarged area 33 of the cavity and the rib members 45 advanced forwardly through the channels 34 while lowering the rearward end into place. The attachment is completed, as described, by means of the connecting screw 48.

In use, it will -be apparent that if the handle is gripped in one hand, the upper jaw portion may be placed over a bolt or nut with the thumb or finger resting on the control button 60. The button may then be advanced forwardly by the thumb to cause the inner projection 62 to travel along the helical groove whereby to rotate the screw shaft and the bevel pinion 54 and impart rotation to the gear 16 thus causing the lower slidable jaw to advance toward the upper jaw in clamping a nut or bolt therebetween. The nut or bolt can be rotated by swinging the handle in the usual manner of an open ended wrench. The pitch of the threads on the jaw actuating member 16 may be less than that of the helical screw shaft in order to minimize reverse action in consequence of the torque applied to the bolt or nut. Of course reverse action is also prevented simply by retaining the thumb upon the slide button to hold it stationary. The sliding jaw may be readily loosened simply by retracting or withdrawing the slide button 60 in a rearward direction through the guide slot to impart a reverse rotation to the gear 16.

In the modified form of invention shown in lFIGS. 8 to 11, like parts are correspondingly enumerated to those of the preferred form. It will be noted that, in place of the cylindrical bore defining the socket of the preferred form, an elongated side socket 70 is indented or otherwise formed in one side of the face of the head for lateral insertion of an actuating screw 71. The screw is provided with an upper semi-spherical pivot boss 72 which engages a bearing indentation in the upper extremity of the socket 70 and with a lower semi-cylindrical pivot boss 73 which engages a suitable bearing indentation in a thrust screw 75 threaded upwardly through the bottom of the head 11. Thus when the actuating screw 71 is rotated on its pivot bosses the lower jaw 22 will be advanced upwardly and downwardly toward and away from the upper fixed jaw 12. Rotation is imparted to the actuating screw 71 through the medium of a driven bevel pinion 76 affixed in upwardly facing relation directly above its lowerpivot boss and bearing against the lower wall of the cavity 70.

In a manner similar to that of the preferred form, an elongated side cavity 80 is indented or otherwise formed in the side of and extends longitudinally of the forward end of the handle into communication with the side socket 70 of the head to receive a helical screw shaft 81. The intermediate portion of the helical screw shaft 81 is formed with a helical groove 82. The terminal portions of the helical screw shaft are journaled in removable bearing blocks 84. A beveled pinion 85 is xedly mounted on the upper or forward extremity of the screw shaft so as to mesh with and drive the driven pinion 76 of the actuating screw 71. Particular attention is directed to the bearing blocks 84 which as best seen from FIG. 10 are manually insertable in the side of the handle. Each block is substantially rectangular and has a width and height corresponding to the internal width and depth, respectively, of the cavity =80 and is provided with a shaft passage 88 for rotatably receiving a terminal portion of the helical shaft. The bearing blocks are each formed with an aligning projection or rib 90 on opposite sides adapted to be aligned with and to engage oppositely disposed grooves 91 in the sides of the cavity 80 so as to space the blocks in the proper longitudinally spaced position and to prevent longitudinal movement of the helical shaft. It can be seen that the entire helical shaft assembly can be properly assembled in the handle simply by aligning the projections 90 with the grooves 91 and manually pressing the shaft into the cavity 80.

The side sockets 70 and 80 are covered by a unitary side cover plate 92 which is maintained against peripheral shoulders 93 completely surrounding the cavity by means of suitable attachment screws 94 threaded into tapped screw sockets 94 in the head and handle. The cover plate is provided with a button guide slot 95 extending medially upwardly from the lower or rearward extremity of the cover plate and exposes the longitudinal medial portion of the helical groove 82 on the helical screw shaft 81.

As shown in FIG. 11, rotation may be imparted to the screw shaft 81 by means of a button 96 having a shank portion 97 which extends through the guide slot to guide and support a disk 98 in slidable engagement with the inside surface of the cover plate when the button 96 is slid along the outer face of the cover plate. A rounded inner end 99 is concentrically formed on the disk 98 to project into and to slidably engage the helical groove on the shaft `91. Again, the button is inserted into the guide lot before the cover plate is secured in place by the screws It will be seen that if the handle 10 is gripped in the hand the upper jaw 12 can be placed over the head of a bolt with the thumb resting on the button 96. The button can then be advanced forwardly by the thumb to cause the inner end 99 to rapidly travel forwardly in the helical groove whereby to rotate the screw shaft 81 and the actuating screw 71, thus causing the lower jaw 22 to advance toward the upper jaw 12 whereby to clamp the bolt therebetween, as in the preferred form. Again the bolt can be rotated by swinging the handle in the usual manner. The pitch of the threads on the actuating screw may be less than the pitch of helical groove 82 so that a reverse action will not be obtained as a result of the torque applied to the bolt or nut. Again, if desired, reverse action is also prevented by retaining the thumb upon the button 96.

As in the preferred form, the invention shown in FIGS. 8 to l1 may be easily assembled by placement of the bearing blocks and actuating screw in the cavity and attachment of the cover plate. All internal boring of the handle and machining of bearings in the head and handle are eliminated. The lower jaw with the actuating screw in place is simply inserted upwardly in the bottom of the head and the thrust screw 75 is threaded into the head to maintain the actuating screw in rotating position. The helical screw shaft with the bearing blocks and the drive pinion in place thereon is simply pressed into the side cavity and the cover plate assembly secured over the socket in the cavity Aby means of the screws 94 to complete the wrench.

It will be apparent that the perforated belt as described in my Pat. No. 3,368,432 may be readily substituted for the actuating members of the preferred and modified forms simply by modifying the form of bearing structure in the cover plate assembly. Similarly, the head portion of the preferred form may have a guide cavity in place of the cylindrical bore for reception of the jaw actuating Vscrew member. Thus the parts comprising the various forms of invention may be readily interchanged with a minimum of modification required and depending upon the size and intended application for the wrench.

While preferred and alternate forms of the invention have been herein described and set forth, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrench having an elongated handle terminating at one end in a recessed head with a fixed jaw portion projecting from the head and a slidable jaw being movable under the control of a screw in the recessed portion of the head toward and away from the fixed jaw portion, the combination therewith comprising:

an elongated cavity formed in one side of the forward end of said handle terminating at one end adjacent to the head to communicate with the recessed portion in the head and extending rearwardly for a limited distance along the length of the handle;

an elongated screw-actuating member dimensioned for lateral insertion in the cavity, said screw-actuating member having bearing members at opposite ends thereof removably inserted in the cavity to rotatably support said screw-actuating member for intermeshing engagement with the screw thereby to advance the slidable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw portion; and

a cover plate removably attached to the side of said handle over the cavity to retain said bearing members in the cavity with the screw-actuating member aligned for intermeshing engagement with the screw.

2. In a wrench according to claim 1, said cover plate, screw-actuating member and bearing members being preassembled with said bearing members projecting inwardly from the inner surface of said cover plate in spaced apart,

7 axially aligned relation to support opposite ends of said screw-actuating member in spaced parallel relation to the inner surface of said cover plate.

3. In a wrench according to claim 1, said cover plate further including inwardly spaced laterally projecting ribs at one end thereof for insertion in channels along opposite sides of the cavity for retention of said cover plate at one end of the cavity, and attaching means to secure the opposite end of said cover plate to the handle in aligned relation to the cavity.

4. In a wrench according to claim 1, said bearing members being defined by bearing blocks projecting inwardly in spaced parallel relation to another from the inner surface of said cover plate with aligned openings in said bearing blocks for lengthwise insertion of said screw-actuating member therein, said screw-actuating member being in the form of a rigid screw shaft having opposite ends forming integral axial extensions of said shaft for disposition in journaled relation to said bearing blocks, and a drive pinion fixedly mounted at the forward end of said screw shaft for intermeshing engagement with said screw member in the recessed head.

5. In a wrench according to claim 2, wherein a `guide slot extends longitudinally of said cover plate between said bearing members, and a slide member is secured in said guide slot for engagement with said screw shaft to impart rotational movement to said screw shaft upon longitudinal advancement of said slide member through said guide slot, said slide member including:

an inwardly directed shank portion extending through said guide slot,

an enlargement on said shank engaging the inner face of said cover plate to prevent outward movement of said shank, and

a concentrically-positioned protuberance at the inner end of said shank portion extending into slidable engagement with a helical groove on said screw-actuating member to convert the sliding movement of said slide member along said guide slot into rotative movement of said screw-actuating member.

6. A wrench of the type having a handle, a head on said handle, a xed upper jaw projecting from said head, an actuating screw for causing a slidably mounted lower jaw to move toward and away from said fixed jaw and a helical screw shaft in said handle operatively connected to said actuating screw for rotating the latter, wherein the improvement comprises:

a recess in said head to rotatably contain said actuating screw,

an elongated side cavity indented into one side of said handle and rotatably containing said helical screw shaft,

a cover plate removably secured over said cavity including a slot in said cover plate aligned with the axis of said screw shaft,

bearing blocks removably and sidewardly inserted in said elongated side cavity to provide bearings for said helical shaft, said bearing blocks being held in place in said cavity by said cover plate, projections formed on the sides of said bearing blocks engaging grooves formed in the sides of said elongated side cavity to prevent longitudinal movement of said blocks in said cavity,

a thumb button slidable upon said cover plate including a shank portion extending inwardly through the slot in said cover plate, a head disc formed on said shank slidably engaging the inner face of said cover plate to prevent outward movement of said button, and a concentrically-positioned protuberance formed on said head disc and extending into slidable engagement with a helical groove in said screw shaft for converting the sliding movement of said button into rotative movement of said shaft.

7. A wrench according to claim 6 wherein the recess in said head is defined by a socket indented into one side of said head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,368,432 2/1968 Halls 81-165 1,391,180 9/1921 Evans et al. 81-165 3,125,911 3/1964 Schlote 21--172X 2,795,987 6/1957 Schlote 81-165 2,753,748 7/1956 Schlote 8l-l72X JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 81-172 

